The Baron into Battle/Transylvania, All Hail/Pursuit/Requiem for a Loser

Never Was a Love Like Mine

Finale

A wacky and fun blast from the past, from the creators of TVs Rudolph, The Red Nose Reindeer. Mad Monster Party contains a jazzy score by composer Maury Laws, with lyrics by Jules Bass. It features the vocal talents of B... more &raquooris Karloff, Phyllis Diller, Ethel Ennis and Gale Garnett. This deluxe package includes a 16-page booklet with dozens of never before published photographs and concept drawings by Mad Magazine alumnus Jack Davis and Don Duga.&laquo less

Synopsis

Album Description

A wacky and fun blast from the past, from the creators of TVs Rudolph, The Red Nose Reindeer. Mad Monster Party contains a jazzy score by composer Maury Laws, with lyrics by Jules Bass. It features the vocal talents of Boris Karloff, Phyllis Diller, Ethel Ennis and Gale Garnett. This deluxe package includes a 16-page booklet with dozens of never before published photographs and concept drawings by Mad Magazine alumnus Jack Davis and Don Duga.

CD Reviews

Mad Monster Fun

Bennet Pomerantz | Seabrook, Maryland | 07/05/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you a fan of the Universal classic monsters like Frankstein, Dracula, The Invisible Man...and you enjoy funny satire, MAD MONSTER PARTY is for you. The soundtrack to this Rankin Bass cartoon from the 1960's is wonderful on audio. Boris Karloff and Physill Diller was never singers. However their one song each are pure delights. This soundtrack captures the feel of the stop motion feature film. The only depressing thing is the soundtrack is only 30 minutes long and you wish it would last forever--Bennet Pomerantz, AUDIOWORLD"

Did you sell your soul to the devil?

Johnny Heering | Bethel, CT United States | 02/03/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the soundtrack to the cult classic Rankin/Bass "Animagic" movie. The film came out in 1968, but amazingly, the soundtrack wasn't released until 1998. It's a pretty cool soundtrack, with most of the instrumentals being on the "jazzy" side. Then there is "The Mummy", which is someone's idea of what rock and roll sounds like. Aside from the instrumentals, there are five songs with vocals. "Mad Monster Party" is sung by jazz singer Ethel Ennis, and is somewhat reminiscent of "Goldfinger". Comedienne Phyllis Diller sings the comedic love song "You're Different"; she had vocal training and could actually carry a tune. Gale Garnett sings two songs; "Our Time To Shine" is a dixieland style song and "Never Was a Love Like Mine" is a love ballad. Miss Garnett was a one hit wonder; her hit was titled "We'll Sing in the Sunshine". Boris Karloff "sings" (actually recites) the semi-novelty "One Step Ahead". This soundtrack is a lot of fun, and fans of this cult classic will want to get it."

NEW PACKAGING 12-2002!

Richard J. Goldschmidt | Oak Lawn, IL USA | 12/16/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is even better now with a NEW Full color booklet! Re-designed by PERCEPTO to celebrate the DVD release, they decided to improve the CD...and that wasn't easy to do...it was already GREAT! I was fortunate to provide the text and the images in the booklet and I am very happy with the NEW look! PERCEPTO and I are working on a followup of RARITIES, which we hope to have out sometime in 2003! MARCH 4th will see the release of THE WACKY WORLD OF MOTHER GOOSE and THE DAYDREAMER on DVD so perhaps, it will be issued by then! Enjoy! Rick Goldschmidt RANKIN/BASS Historian"

The Ultimate Halloween Party Music!

K. Brown | Walnut, Ca USA | 07/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Retro-Halloween does not get any cooler than "Mad Monster Party." For those of us Baby-Boomer folk who remember this great Rankin/Bass movie hitting the TV airwaves every Halloween throughout childhood, the only thing sweet as the DVD release is that the soundtrack is also available.With full salutations to the scores of hep rock era Hallows' Eve novelty song compilations out there, nothing matches up to "Mad Monster Party." Picture the hep-rock mode meeting cocktail lounge culture, add a dash of sentimental love, and a healthy helping of Boris Karloff, one of the greatest grandaddies of 20th century horror, and you have the quintessential CD to set the festive mood at any Halloween get together.Starting off with an eery and methodical instrumental called "The Baron," the second track is the title song, a jazzy piece sung by jazz great Ethel Ennis. Contrast that a few songs later with Phyllis Diller belting out "You're Different" as she romances Frankenstein. Phyllis may not carry a tune like Ethel Ennis, but her boisterous laugh and sassy vocals are totally endearing! Throwing more diversity into the batch, we hear Gale Garnett sing a spirited ragtime piece called "It's Our Time To Shine" (hhmmmm, another tune where a gal is enticing a vulnerable male...I forgot what great and powerful women rock this movie!). One of the last tunes features Garnett singing a genuinely sweet love song that contrasts this flick; while I dig this album for the lounge & party atmosphere, I love the way Garnett's soothing voice brings an odd but sincere sentimentality to a cartoon featuring way-out looking puppets! The song that really drives this soundtrack home is "One Step Ahead." I'm not saying that this is the absolute finest song in "Mad Monster Party," and Boris Karloff is no Pavoratti, but hearing him sing brings this album from a fun Holiday soundtrack to an absolute archetype of the Pop era's Halloween fests! This is a motivational ode that Karloff's character sings to lift his underdog-of-a-nephew out from under his shell, and there is something truly awe-inspiring when you hear this cartoonish mad scientist voice sing a playful "Get Up & At 'Em!" song. Dr. Phil, eat your heart out! Don't let the Autumn season pass without picking up this gem. This album is campy, festive and also contains great music. This CD has a special place in my collection!"

BEST MONSTER PARODY EVER!

Daniel Cziraky | North Carolina, USA | 09/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Okay, MMP falls just short of the true best monster movie spoof, ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN. But, the Jack Davis (Mad Magazine) designs for the puppets were inspired, and the songs were a real hoot! "You're Different," "Our Time to Shine," "It's the Mummy," and all the other tunes are still awesome after 30+ years. The animation may be choppy, but I'll take it over the soulless CGI of TOY STORY 1&2, ANTZ, A BUG'S LIFE, and Disney's DINOSAUR any day! The music is clean and sounds great, thanks to the preservation efforts of The Misfits(!)."